{"id":108459,"date":"2026-05-16T17:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T17:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/tens-of-thousands-march-in-london-in-separate-immigration-pro-palestinian-protests-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T17:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T17:21:08","slug":"tens-of-thousands-march-in-london-in-separate-immigration-pro-palestinian-protests-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/tens-of-thousands-march-in-london-in-separate-immigration-pro-palestinian-protests-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Tens of thousands march in London in separate immigration, pro Palestinian protests | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

PM Keir Starmer accuses Unite the Kingdom march organisers of peddling hate and division <\/p>\n

People hold Palestinian flags next to a statue, depicting a figure carrying a flag covering their face and stepping off a plinth, by British street artist Banksy during a march, held by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba and against the “Unite the Kingdom” rally taking place in London organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, May 16, 2026. REUTERS <\/p>\n

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Tens of thousands of people marched through central \u200bLondon on Saturday in two separate protests \u2014 one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians.<\/p>\n

Police deployed \u200c4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the capital, and pledged “the most assertive possible use of our powers” in what they called their biggest public order operation in years.<\/p>\n

By 1200 GMT, shortly after both marches started, police said they had made 11 arrests for a range of offences. They had earlier forecast turnout of at least \u200b80,000.<\/p>\n

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The Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, stands in the background as protesters hold flags during a “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, May 16, 2026. REUTERS<\/em><\/p>\n

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday accused organisers of the Unite the Kingdom march of “peddling hate and division, plain and simple”.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ll always champion peaceful protest. But the Unite the Kingdom march organisers are peddling hatred and division.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already blocked visas for far-right agitators who want to come here to spew their extremist views.<\/p>\n

They don’t speak for the decent, fair, respectful Britain\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hdu8kgxHFp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

The march \u200bwas organised by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson. The government barred 11 people it described \u2060as “foreign far-right agitators” from entering Britain to address the protest.<\/p>\n

A previous protest led by Robinson<\/a> in September drew around 150,000 people, police said, and \u200bfeatured a video address by US tech billionaire Elon Musk. More than 20 people were arrested, and police are still seeking more than 50 suspects.<\/p>\n

Marchers wave British and English flags<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Saturday, Robinson supporters gathered in central London, waving mainly British and English flags.<\/p>\n

“I think that too much migration \u2014 not migration, but too much migration \u2014 is causing a lot of problems, upsetting a delicate balance here,” said Allison Parr, who also criticised net-zero environmental policies.<\/p>\n

Annual net migration approached 900,000 in 2022 \u200band 2023, but fell back to around 200,000 last year after tighter work visa rules.<\/p>\n

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